I’m a gamerdad who has had this Xbox Live gamertag since sometime around the Halo 2 era of the OG Xbox. I have used this gamertag since then through my time playing the Xbox 360, as well as the Xbox One. I actually ‘invented’ the name with a character I created in Guild Wars, with a character named Ligma Rensin. (In Guild Wars, you had to make a first and last name.) As I’ve been known by this name for quite some time, friends have purchased me custom painted controllers with my gamertag on it, which I’ve cherished throughout the years. I’m proud to have a gamertag with no numbers, special character, plain, simple, Ligma. Though I don’t have as much time to play anymore, I still hop on to play Rocket League with the kiddos every once in a while.

As of a few months ago, I started getting hundreds of messages on Xbox from people talking about some sort of sickness. Asking if I was sick. Asking if I got other people sick. References to unmentionable body parts that may, or may not also be sick.

With a bit of research, I discovered that this was a meme created not too long ago by a streamer. It got to the point where I could hardly delete them fast enough. Some of these messages were not very nice, so I decided to make my profile private from messages (which has since been changed back to ‘open’.) Today, I got the sad news that Xbox had received complains about my gamertag and have such forced my name to be changed. Not only that, but my name had been changed to, the less exciting, AngryKitten1025. I am confused to as why a meme that a streamer ‘creates’ can allow such action to be taken against someone who has been a supporter of Xbox for so long.

On top of this, my wife has a similar gamertag, ‘MrsLigma’, which she’s had since 2011. Hers is unaffected for now.

I have nothing against streamers or memes, and I’m not claiming that anyone copied my gamertag. I just made the word up, anyone else can/could too! But, it’s pretty uncool when Xbox/Microsoft can use any new meme to destroy a gamertag that’s 12+ years old.

Thank you for hearing my story. Maybe someone can help? Is there a support group setup yet? To others afflicted like me, I’m so so sorry. Steamers and memers, be careful with your power. You might hurt someone!

(I hope, if nothing else, someone got a laugh out of my bad luck!)

Proof: Feel free to check out my ‘current’ Xbox Live profile AngryKitten1025. Especially any videos posted/captured, as they’ll contain gameplay I’ve recorded for years which my gamertag can seen. Controllers: https://imgur.com/a/JnKPQY3 (which now may have to be discarded, depending on how bad this meme is.)

As my co-worker so accurately put it, describing my sadness; “Ligma may not be a real disease, but it has caused me pain unknown by many.”